Business Communication Essentials and Strategies

The provided document is an assignment on business communication that covers essential topics such as communication plan, invoice, memorandum, and letter. It highlights the importance of establishing good relationships with stakeholders, addressing weaknesses in business communication, and embracing proactive approaches. The target audiences for different types of communication include buyers, employees within organizations, and anyone with literacy skills.

UNIT 4
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Different types of business information................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
P2. Presenting complex internal business information...............................................................2
Covered in poster........................................................................................................................2
P4. Evaluating the external corporate communications..............................................................2
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................3
P5. Legal and ethical issues in context to using of business information...................................3
P6. Operational issues in context to using of business information ...........................................4
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................4
P7. Electronic and non-electronic methods of communicating business information................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
In business communication, message is conveyed through various channels of
communication including internet, print (publications), radio, television, outdoor, and word of
mouth (Bovee, 2010). The aim and purpose of this assessment is to give learners an
understanding of how marketing, research and planning and the marketing mix are used by all
organizations with emphasis laid upon Tesco.
TASK 1
P1. Different types of business information
Following are sources of business information with respect to Tesco:- Verbal Information - The best way to communicate but not always the most efficient. It
is immediate and can solve most problems. Written Information- Can be words, diagrams, graphs and charts. Can come from a wide
range of sources - newspapers, books, trade journals and government publications. On-Screen Information- Information may be produced on-screen. This can be seen in
multimedia TV and CD-ROMs that combine text, graphics, animation, audio and video. Multi-Media Information- This means multiple forms of media integrated together.
Media can be text, graphics, audio, animation, video, data etc. An example could be a
webpage with interactive guide and narration.
 Web-Based Information- This displays many benefits of multimedia technology. Today's
fast broadband speeds allow you to stream sophisticated content to a computer anywhere
in the world. This allows somebody to access this information wherever they are. This
can also be accessed by smartphones (Guffey and Loewy, 2010).
The information regarding business of Tesco originates from Government, Trade
Groupings, Commercially Provided Databases and Research.
Different purposes of information
Reliable and valid information is essential to all businesses and organisations. Without
this reliable information a business will have no idea of where it stands in its market, its financial
and sales figures or how to proceed in the future. Tesco use information for a variety of
purposes.
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 Updating knowledge- It is vital that businesses keep up to date with changes within thier
markets. All of this information helps organisations to make accurate decisions based on
full knowledge. Informing future developments- A business that does not adapt, develop and grow will
quickly find itself left behind by the competition. A business will not release a new
product unless it has evidence that it will sell.
 Strategic direction and SWOT analysis- It helps a business decide on actions for
achieving these objectives in appropriate timescale. It allows the business to implement
the actions and assess progress and results. In order to establish strategic direction,
businesses require large amounts of info. Once they have this info they use a tool known
as a SWOT analysis to audit the organisation and its environment.
TASK 2
P2. Presenting complex internal business information
Covered in ppt.
P3. Producing corporate communications
Covered in poster
P4. Evaluating the external corporate communications
External business communication is the exchange of information and messages between
an organization and its external customers outside its formal structure. One way McDonald’s
communicates to its external customers is their website. There are many different methods used
by the company’s website and these are: the use of images, the use of fonts, Packaging and the
page layout. Some strap lines may not be appropriate for come consumers so business need to be
careful of the way they use the strap lines (Dyrud, 2011). A good strap line is Tesco’s ‘Every
Little Helps’. This is because Tesco is a large firm with products at very cheap prices and also
competitive. It is a way of saying every little saving helps make larger saving on other things. It
also outlines Tesco’s objectives of cheaper products than their competitors. The use of images
can enhance a communication to an audience, as we tend to remember more of what we see than
what we hear, therefore showing images is a better way. Contextualizing upon the poster for
Dyson Cleaners by Tesco, company should further add up displaying of valuable offers as well
to grab the attention of customers.
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TASK 3
P5. Legal and ethical issues in context to using of business information
→ Legal issues :-
Computer Misuse Act 1990 is also a legal issue used for business information.
This is a law in the UK that legislates against certain activities using computers, such as hacking
into other people's systems, misusing software or helping a person to gain access to protected
files on someone else's computer (Conrad and Newberry, 2012). It is split into 3 sections and
makes illegal:
Unauthorised access to computer material✓
✓ Unauthorised access to computer systems with intent to commit another offence
Unauthorised modification of computer material✓
→ Ethical Issue:-
Fundamental ethical issues include concepts such and integrity and trust, but more
complex issues include accommodating diversity, decision-making, compliance and governance.
 Fundamental Issues : The most fundamental or essential ethical issues that businesses
must face are integrity and trust. A basic understanding of integrity includes the idea of
conducting your business affairs with honesty and a commitment to treating every
customer fairly.
 Diversity issues : An ethical response to diversity begins with recruiting a diverse
workforce, enforces equal opportunity in all training programs and is fulfilled when every
employee is able to enjoy a respectful workplace environment that values their
contributions. Maximizing the value of each employees' contribution is a key element in
your business's success.
 Decision-making issues : Ethical decision-making processes should centre on protecting
employee and customer rights, making sure all business operations are fair and just,
protecting the common good and making sure individual values and beliefs of workers
are protected.
 Compliance and Governance issues : Businesses are expected to fully comply with
environmental laws, federal and state safety regulations, fiscal and monetary reporting
statutes and all applicable civil rights laws.
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P6. Operational issues in context to using of business information
Organisations have to store and manage countless pieces of information, with some being
far more important than others. Lying at the heart of any information system are two
fundamental issues of ensuring that:
 the organisation receives the information it requires
 the appropriate member of staff receives the information
To make sure that information is managed appropriately, a number of policies and procedures
have to be put in place, concerning:- Security of Information : Many companies keep their information on IT systems, but as
the reliance on technology increases, so does the risk posed by system failure and
malicious attacks (e.g. viruses). The IT security policy should take account of the
common risks to the information that their business relies upon (Fall and et.al., 2013).
This might include secure login ID for using IT systems.
 Organisational Policies : Policies that relate to the use of business information can help
make sure that decisions affecting staff:
 are understandable and consistent
 meet legal requirements
 take full account of their impact
 contribute to productive working relationships
Policies help make sure that staff have guidance to help them comply with legislation
(Data Protection Act for example). They should also help ensure that consistent decisions
are made, which can be as important in internal communications as they are in handling
customers.
TASK 4
P7. Electronic and non-electronic methods of communicating business information
Tesco uses following means of electronic and non-electronic communication :
Electronic Methods of Communication in Business:- Mobile Devices : People are increasingly turning to text messages and short emails using
cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
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 Social Networking Media : The capability and uses of social networking media continue
to evolve. Some maintain social networking represents a new frontier in marketing and
business networking. Companies promote events, communicate with customers, offer
discounts and draw attention to sales using social networking media. Recruiters and
salespeople often seek key contacts through social media sites. Email : Because of its versatility, email can be used for asking questions and getting
answers, holding mini-group conferences, making people aware of issues, passing along
documents, sharing information and much more.
Non-Electronic Methods of Communication in Business:- Face-to-Face : It is the most efficient form of communication between anyone. It allows
both parties to express what do they want to say and responding to each other (Toth,
2013). It also enables both parties to exchanges hard copies as well. The target audience
is pretty much wide. Invoice : The invoice lists the quantity of each item, the prices, service description, and a
contact address for payment. It is a legal document which can be used as evidence of an
incurred debt. The target audiences are mainly the buyer of the item and those with
outstanding pay. Memorandum : It is used for internal communication between the departments within an
organisation. The target audience can be the employees within the organisation.
 Letter : It must be of high standards of communication. It must be clear with the
information and should have introduction, details, and how should the reader respond to
the letter. It may give rise to the legal liability. It can be formal or informal, specialised or
simple, impartial or emotional, and/or reasoned or strongly advising. The audience can be
anyone as long as they have literacy skill.
CONCLUSION
Business communication is vital in business success. For communication to be effective
it should embrace good relationships with major stakeholders of a business. One has to establish
the weakness in business communication, address these weaknesses and allow room for
listening. Communication means more than just giving out messages; it involves speaking,
listening, sending and receiving messages. Listening simply means holding back one's judgment
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and allowing answers to come from outside. The next step is to prepare a communication plan
that is proactive.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bovee, C. L., 2010. Business Communication Today, 10/e. Pearson Education India.
Conrad, D. and Newberry, R., 2012. Identification and instruction of important business
communication skills for graduate business education. Journal of Education for
Business. 87(2). pp.112-120.
Dyrud, M. A., 2011. Social networking and business communication pedagogy: Plugging into the
Facebook generation. Business Communication Quarterly. 74(4). pp.475-478.
Fall, L. T. and et.al., 2013. Intercultural communication apprehension and emotional intelligence
in higher education: Preparing business students for career success. Business
Communication Quarterly. 76(4). pp.412-426.
Guffey, M. E. and Loewy, D., 2010. Business communication: Process and product. Cengage
Learning.
Sigmar, L. S., Hynes, G. E. and Hill, K. L., 2012. Strategies for teaching social and emotional
intelligence in business communication. Business Communication Quarterly. 75(3).
pp.301-317.
Toth, C., 2013. Revisiting a genre: Teaching infographics in business and professional
communication courses. Business Communication Quarterly. 76(4). pp.446-457.
Usunier, J. C. and Roulin, N., 2010. The influence of high-and low-context communication styles
on the design, content, and language of business-to-business web sites. The Journal of
Business Communication (1973). 47(2). pp.189-227.
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